Sky News
Describing Jews as sons of pigs and monkeys is commonplace throughout
the Middle East, it is routinely repeated on the street, in mosques, in
TV debates, in cartoons, and in newspaper articles. The belief is based
on three different verses in the Koran - 7:166, 2:65, and 5:60.

Some open-minded Muslims argue that the verses should be seen in
historical context and that they refer to the problems between Jews and
the new religion of Muhammad at the time of writing. Many others view
them as literal and applicable for all time.

For the Egyptian President to use the phrase in a live TV interview in
the 21st century suggests he takes the latter view. Core beliefs such as
those he has espoused for decades are not normally reversed by a year
in power although this cannot be definitively ruled out.

In Europe, when Europeans say things such as expressed above, we
recognise them as 'Fascistic'. When expressed by people in some other
parts of the globe we appear frightened to call things what they are.

President Barack Obama’s spokesman is downplaying venomously
anti-Semitic statements by Egypt’s new Islamist president, who said that
Jews are “apes and pigs” and must be hated by Muslim children.

“Acceptable? It is the norm now,” said Barry Rubin, a regional expert
and the director of Global Research in International Affairs.

Morsi’s statements were “not equivalent to an American politician
making a gaffe … but are a core aspect of the Islamist and [Muslim]
Brotherhood ideology, from which its policy behavior will flow” when it
solidifies its power, he said.